Hockey locker

ABSTRACT

A hockey team room storage locker is disclosed. The hockey locker includes separate storage areas for various equipment used by hockey players: helmet, skates, pads, gloves, breezers, and uniforms. The hockey locker includes forced air and passive ventilation to allow for drying of the equipment while in storage. The hockey locker can include lights for the various compartments, locks for the various compartments, and a charging station for electronics. The hockey locker can be custom-sized to fit in specific locker rooms and in various configurations.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/160,914, filed May 13, 2015, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage units such as lockers and, more particularly, to lockers for storing hockey outerwear, equipment and accessories.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Professional athletes such as baseball, basketball and football players have personal lockers in the locker rooms of stadiums and the like in which their personal equipment is stored. Such lockers are constructed of heavy gauge metal frame members that are welded together and sheet metal wall and shelf panels which are welded, riveted or bolted to the frame members to provide the necessary structural integrity for the intended use and expected abuse of the locker during use.

Many sports also involve the use of protective equipment, some of which is bulky and not easily washed. In the case of hockey equipment, it is usually stored in a hockey bag, which is convenient for transporting and collecting all of the gear, but tends to cause the sweaty gear to be left in a closed airless bag between uses which can result in bacterial and mold growth, leading to foul smells and unsanitary conditions. This applies to other sports having wearable protective equipment such as football.

A problem with such protective equipment is that it is not easily washable. Often it is composed of combinations of special fabrics and plastic components which are not machine washable. Thus, in the event that the equipment becomes foul, the only recourse is to have it sent out for expensive custom cleaning. Being able to extend the time between such expensive cleaning is desirable. Thus, many types of drying stands and racks have been proposed in the past for the sports equipment to be hung on to permit it to air dry. However, often the children are not motivated to use the drying rack. In not using the drying racks the sports equipment becomes foul and is no longer tolerable in the bedrooms or even in the dwelling space, and may have to be consigned to garages and porches where the smell is excluded from the living space.

In addition to drying racks, specialized lockers have been proposed for the purpose of containing such sports clothing and equipment, as set out in the following examples.

One attempt at a dressing locker for home use is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,524 to Long, II, incorporated herein by reference. However, while this design is an improvement over prior sports lockers due to its open air design, it is still largely unsuitable for locations of a house lacking in sufficient air circulation. Since the shelves of this locker are of a solid construction, they block any air flow up or down the locker. Wet clothing or sports equipment placed inside the locker will still remain moist for quite some time before the moisture evaporates and the contents dry. Thus bacterial and mold formation and the resulting foul odors are still a problem with designs of this type.

There have been prior attempts to create an air flow in lockers or to remove foul odors from lockers. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,997 to Hess, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed an apparel equipment locker incorporating contamination and toxic materials extraction and evacuation system. However, lockers of this type require complicated ducting and venting paths to be built into the building and connected to the locker and are difficult and expensive to install. Moreover, the lockers are designed to be hermetically sealed so that inside air can be actively sucked out and passively replaced with outside air through separate pipes.

As another example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,449 to Silver, incorporated herein by reference, there is disclosed a sanitizing cabinet for sports equipment. This design incorporates a system of fans for circulating ozone containing gas inside a closed cabinet. These cabinets are also intended to be hermetically sealed to prevent ozone from seeping from inside the cabinet into the room. Moreover, sanitizing cabinets of this sort are intended to be used on a commercial basis for sanitizing sports equipment and are not suitable for home use or for youth/school use.

It is also known in the art, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,892, incorporated herein by reference, that one may use self-contained dryers for accommodating sports equipment. The dryers have walls which cause heated air to circulate in the drying chambers to decrease the moisture content of the air and increase the drying energy efficiency. Blowers and fans associated with electric heaters operate to circulate heated air through the drying chambers. However, such drying cabinets are similarly not intended for younger athletes and the use of heated air raises fire concerns.

A problem with such prior inventions is that they are generally directed to use for several sports and do not provide dedicated storage and drying needs specific for hockey equipment. What is desired is a dedicated reliable system of eliminating the problem of moisture laden hockey equipment becoming bacteria and mold laden and foul, and which is suitable for use by athletes. A device that would encourage the use of the device by such young athletes is also desirable. Further, a device that can address the specific drying and storage needs of for hockey equipment is desirable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an improved hockey locker that prevents the moisture associated with recently worn outerwear, sports clothing, and sports equipment from encouraging the growth of bacteria and mold which tend to generate foul odors. The device encourages rapid drying of sweat and other moisture and is attractively designed to encourage its use by young athletes.

In one aspect the present invention is directed to a storage and drying unit to be used by children and adults alike to store and dry their outerwear, sports clothing, and sports equipment in a locker room or even in their home. In one embodiment the present invention provides both passive and forced airflow to encourage the drying of wet equipment. The invention includes separate storage compartments specifically designed for various sports clothing and sports equipment. In the preferred embodiment, compartments are sized and configured to store the various pieces of hockey equipment and apparel (skates, helmet, breezers, pads, etc.). The preferable device includes drying fans to aid in drying the most difficult to dry equipment by moving air through the compartments. Ventilation openings in the various compartments assist forced air drying and also provide passive airflow in compartments that do not have fans. Access to the various compartments is enhanced via gas springs, glides, and locking hinges.

The present invention may include general storage areas for personal items. The locker may include a seat on top of one or more storage areas to eliminate the need for chairs or benches in a locker room. Locks can also be provided to secure the stored equipment or personal items. Because electrical power is used for the drying fans, the locks may be electric to eliminate the need for keys. The inclusion of electrical power in present invention also allows for the addition of charging station and lighting in and on the hockey locker. The device may also include sensors that turn on lighting automatically when certain compartments are opened. Another beneficial aspect of the present invention is that it is portable, allowing for custom fitting to any locker room size or configuration.

The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the subject matter hereof. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art can appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the invention. The figures and the detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify various embodiments.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

-   -   Utilizes forced air for drying hard-to-dry equipment (e.g.,         skates).     -   Includes passive air for drying other equipment (e.g., helmets).     -   Includes equipment-specific storage compartments for most         wearable hockey equipment.     -   Lighting of storage compartments allows for easy identification         and inspection of stored equipment.     -   Sensors automatically turn lights on when certain compartments         are opened.     -   Fold-down back with integrated pad storage.     -   Flip-up seat with glove storage.     -   Locker can be custom fit to any locker room size or         configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front right perspective view of a hockey locker according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is front right perspective view of a hockey locker according to an embodiment of the invention with the right side panel removed.

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of a hockey locker according to an embodiment of the invention showing the seat bottom in the lifted position.

FIG. 4 is a right side view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of a hockey locker according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a front right perspective view of an overhead storage compartment of an embodiment of the invention showing an LED puck light in the overhead storage compartment and garment hooks under the overhead and helmet storage compartments.

While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A hockey locker according to an embodiment of the invention is depicted generally in FIG. 1 with reference numeral 100. FIG. 2 presents the same embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, with its right side panel 110 removed. The hockey locker 100 includes a right side panel 110, a left side panel 120, and back panel 130. Panels 100, 110, 120 may be formed of any material known in the field of lockers including wood, metal, or plastic without departing from the spirit of the invention. The preferred embodiment of the panels 100, 110, 120 are made of wood for durability, strength, and ease of modification for custom manufacturing. The hockey locker 100 also includes a base 160. It is preferred that the base 160 be constructed of perforated metal for strength and to allow for draining of any fluids (sweat, water) from equipment and sports clothing. The panels 100, 110, 120 and base 160 form an enclosure in which to store outerwear, sports clothing, and sports equipment.

The preferred embodiment of the hockey locker 100 includes a seat bottom 140 and a seat back 150, which form a seat 145 to provide a sitting area for the athlete using the hockey locker 100. The seat bottom 140 and seat back 150 are preferably made of wood for strength and stability and include padded material on the sitting surfaces. The seat bottom 140 can be folded up from the sitting position (flat) to allow access under the seat 145. The seat back 150 can be folded down from the sitting position (upright) to allow access to the back of the seat 145.

The hockey locker includes areas for holding and storing hockey clothing and equipment. As shown in FIG. 2, a breezer storage basket 210 is attached to the back of the seat back 150 for storage and drying of breezers (hockey pants). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a glove storage basket 240 is attached to the underside of the seat bottom 140 for storage and drying of hockey gloves. In the preferred embodiment the breezer storage basket 210 and glove storage basket 240 are constructed of sheet metal to provide a water resistant and strong material that is lighter weight and thinner than other products. Gas springs 350 may be used to hold the seat bottom 140 in the open position. Above the seat 145 is an overhead storage compartment 270 and overhead storage compartment door 275, best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5-6. In the preferred embodiment of the hockey locker 100, the overhead storage compartment 270 includes a cubby 280 and a helmet storage compartment 220.

The preferred embodiment of the hockey locker 100 further includes skate drawers 230 for storage and drying of hockey skates. The skate drawers 230 include drawer glides 235 to allow for easy opening and closing of the drawers 230 and are located below the seat 145. Further, the skate drawers 230 include interior racks (not shown) to hold the skates in their upright position to expedite drying. The hockey locker 100 also includes an underseat storage compartment 270 for storing miscellaneous items such as shin guards and elbow pads. The hockey locker 100 may also include elbow pad baskets 250 under the seat 145 and above the skate drawers 230.

Another aspect of the invention includes means of drying hockey equipment while it is being stored in its various compartments. Drying may be accomplished by forced air or passive ventilation to allow moisture to evaporate and exit the storage compartments. In the preferred embodiment, forced air is used to move air through the skate drawers 230, breezer storage basket 210, elbow pad baskets 250, and underseat storage compartment 270. This embodiment utilizes two fans 300 (FIGS. 2 and 6) to force air down into the skate drawers 230 from the front of the hockey locker 100 and three fans 300 to pull air up out of the skate drawers 230 and into the underside of the breezer storage basket 210. To facilitate air transfer into and through the breezer storage basket 210, it includes a vent 310 on its bottom when the seat 145 is in an upright position. Drying of helmets is accomplished via passive ventilation through a vent 310 on the bottom of the helmet storage compartment 220. It is understood that other embodiments may replace fans 300 as shown in the preferred embodiment with passive air vents 310 or vice versa. The location and quantity of fans 300 may also be varied for cost and performance reasons. Passive drying of hockey clothing and outerwear may also be accomplished by simple hanging of these items on garment hooks 360 that can be located on the panels 100, 110, 120 or under the overhead storage compartment 270 (see FIG. 7). Or items like socks can be hung from handles 370 mounted on the panels 100, 110, 120.

The overhead storage compartment 270 of the preferred hockey locker 100 includes an overhead storage compartment door 275 to conceal and secure stored items. The overhead storage compartment door 275 can optionally include a handle 287 to assist in its opening and closing. The overhead storage compartment door 275 may also include a locking hinge 380 to ease the opening of the overhead storage compartment door 275 as well as hold it in the open position. The cubby 280 may include a cubby door 287 to provide additional security for personal items. The preferred embodiment includes a lock 285 to secure the cubby 280. The lock 285 may be a mechanical key lock or, as shown in the preferred embodiment, a digital lock to eliminate the need to carry a key to access stored items. Alternatively, the lock 285 may be placed on the overhead compartment storage door 275. Locks 330 may also be used to secure the skate drawers 230 or lock the seat bottom 140 and seat back.

Another embodiment further includes lights 330 for illumination of the various storage compartments (see FIG. 7). The preferred embodiment uses LED puck lights, but may also use LED strip lights or any other form of illumination know in the art of lighting. The invention contemplates lights 330 within the cubby 280, the underseat storage compartment 260, and inside the skate drawers 230. However, lights 330 may be located anywhere in or on the hockey locker 100 to provide the desired illumination. Door sensor switches 320 (FIG. 6) are included to automatically turn on lights 330 when various compartments are opened and turn off lights 330 when those compartments are closed. Door sensor switches 320 are also used to turn on/off fans 300. Other types of fan control include humidity switches that turn on the fans 300 to control drying of stored items.

A further embodiment of the present invention is the inclusion charging stations 340 to provide power for audio entertainment systems, personal computing devices, and phones. Charging stations 340 may be located on top of the hockey locker 100 (as shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 6) or within the cubby 280, or both.

Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.

Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.

Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.

For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim. 

We claim:
 1. A hockey locker comprising: a seat having a seat bottom and a seat back, the seat bottom being movable from a sitting position to an open position and the seat back being movable from sitting position to a folded position; a skate drawer; an overhead storage compartment; an underseat storage compartment; and a fan for blowing air through at least one of the skate drawer or the underseat storage compartment.
 2. The hockey locker of claim 1 further comprising a breezer storage basket mounted to the seat back.
 3. The hockey locker of claim 2 further comprising a fan for blowing air from the underseat storage compartment through the breezer storage basket.
 4. The hockey locker of claim 1 further comprising a glove storage basket mounted to the seat bottom.
 5. The hockey locker of claim 2 further comprising a helmet storage compartment located within the overhead storage compartment.
 6. The hockey locker of claim 5 wherein the helmet storage compartment further comprises a vent.
 7. The hockey locker of claim 6 wherein the overhead storage compartment further comprises a cubby.
 8. The hockey locker of claim 7 further comprising a lock for securing at least one of the cubby, overhead storage compartment, or skate drawer.
 9. The hockey locker of claim 1 further comprising: a breezer storage basket mounted to the seat back; a glove storage basket mounted to the seat bottom; a helmet storage compartment located within the overhead storage compartment; and an elbow pad basket mounted below the seat.
 10. The hockey locker of claim 9 further comprising a charging station.
 11. A hockey locker comprising: an overhead storage compartment comprising: a helmet storage compartment comprising a vent; and a cubby comprising a door and a lock; a seat comprising a seat bottom with a breezer storage basket mounted thereto and a seat back with a glove storage basket mounted thereto; a skate drawer; a fan for blowing air into the skate drawer; and a fan for blowing air out of the skate drawer.
 12. The hockey locker of claim 11 further comprising an underseat storage compartment.
 13. The hockey locker of claim 12 further comprising an elbow pad storage basket.
 14. The hockey locker of claim 12 further comprising a light mounted in at least one of the overhead storage compartment, skate drawer, or underseat storage compartment.
 15. The hockey locker of claim 14 further comprising a door sensor switch.
 17. A hockey locker comprising: a seat having a seat bottom and a seat back, the seat bottom being movable from a sitting position to an open position and the seat back being movable from sitting position to a folded position; a skate drawer; a helmet storage compartment; an underseat storage compartment; a breezer storage basket; a glove storage basket a fan for blowing air through at least one of the skate drawer or the underseat storage compartment; and a fan for blowing air through the breezer storage basket.
 18. The hockey locker of claim 17 further comprising a light and a door sensor switch.
 19. The hockey locker of claim 19 further comprising a lock.
 20. The hockey locker of claim 17 further comprising a charging station. 